Making Tomorrow Better: Coke Inspires Young Entrepreneurs from the Middle East and North Africa

Young entrepreneurs listen to Coca-Cola chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent speak on their final day in Atlanta.

(Photo Credit: )

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola recently hosted a special sendoff at its global
headquarters for 93 young entrepreneurial college students from the Middle East,
North Africa and Near Asia who completed a month-long learning and development program in the U.S.

In 2012, Coca-Cola and the U.S Department of State partnered
with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University to support and empower
the next generation of business and social entrepreneurs across the Middle East
and North Africa (MENA) region. Now in its second year, the Coca-Cola MENA
Scholarship Program provides college students with valuable business knowledge,
lasting relationships and fuels their passion to make a difference.

The program recently expanded its reach to eight countries
bringing together Afghan, Algerian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Moroccan, Pakistani, Palestinian
and Tunisian students. They were selected from more
than 7,000 applicants who submitted ideas about how to “Make Tomorrow Better”
in their respective communities by either creating a new business or launching
a new community initiative to meet local needs. The ideas were posted on each
market’s Coca-Cola Facebook page, where the public voted for their favorite concepts.

During the program, the students gained a broad
understanding of American business practices through an accelerated, four-week
curriculum at the Kelley School of Business. They worked in teams to develop
business plans and presented their ideas first to a group of venture capital
leaders in Indiana, then at the State Department before heading to their
final destination: Atlanta.

There, the students enjoyed attractions such
as the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium and Stone Mountain before a
private meeting with Coca-Cola chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent, who saluted their accomplishments and offered constructive advice for their next endeavors.
Several participants said this was the encouragement they needed before setting
out to implement their entrepreneurship ventures.

Muhtar Kent with a group of students from Morocco.

‘You Can Make a
Difference’

For the students’ picture with Kent, all eight flags
stood side-by-side at the company’s headquarters, showcasing the
program’s commitment to cross-cultural exchange. A fervid champion of youth entrepreneurship,
Kent spoke enthusiastically about the students’ future as tomorrow’s
business and community leaders.

“I believe there’s never been a better time to be attending
university and preparing for the world beyond,” he said. “And I can’t wait to
see what great things you and your generation accomplish in the years ahead.”

It’s a future one student from Morocco is ready to lead.
Nada Berrada says she hopes to “organize social ventures for students willing
to help rural Moroccan communities.” And Berrada won’t stop there. She says she
wants to become a Coca-Cola Ambassador because “Coca-Cola is not only about happiness,
buts it’s also about inspiration.”

Berrada hopes to inspire her country, like Kent inspired
her. She says Kent’s repeated emphasis on “’multiculturalism’ and bringing
cultures together” resonated with her. “It is very obvious we live in a world
that is diverse and the only way to transform or to make sure this diversity
becomes a strength is to accept it and learn from it,” she says.
“Multiculturalism is an incredible source of wealth and knowledge of difference
that creates a tremendous change.”

One Afghan student echoed the learned importance of
multiculturalism. Javid Rasooly said he is thankful the program expanded this
year to include Afghan students. “For me personally, I came to meet people, to
learn from people, to be exposed to other cultures and to other societies,” he added.

Following his speech, Kent opened the floor for questions
and spoke about obtaining and sustaining success. He advised the future leaders
to create small moments of happiness for others, to cherish relationships, to fuse
cultures, and, lastly, to follow their instincts.

“You can and will make a real difference, so stay in touch
with each other… and with Coca-Cola,” Kent concluded.

The 2013 Coca-Cola MENA Scholarship Program may have ended,
but the work for these scholars has just begun. The young entrepreneurs will
set out to better their communities by applying business knowledge gained from
the program.

“Coca-Cola means relationships,” Rasooly said. “They
gave us this relationship… this connection that will last forever.”

Never Eat Alone

Drawing on lessons learned throughout his life and 30-year
Coca-Cola career, Kent shared a few words of wisdom with the young
entrepreneurs.

“Like you, I was given the great gift of meeting and
befriending wonderful people from distant lands and all walks of life,” Kent told
the students.

He offered four key pieces of advice:

1. Never eat alone. Maintain and build
your relationships, and always be open to meeting new people and learning from
them. Personal connections are invaluable.

2. Building
a business—your own or someone else’s—is not about success. It’s about repeating success, again and again.

3. Develop an abiding respect for cash. Keep
some on you at all times. Touch it and feel it and know it’s real. Never let
money become an abstraction.

“Remember also that this is your start-up phase – your
chance to be a great agent for positive change,” Kent concluded. “Chances are,
you won’t start out perfectly, but don’t see your missteps as mistakes.
Instead, they’re opportunities for learning new perspectives.”

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, offering over 500 brands to people in more than 200 countries. Of our 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 are available in lower- or no-sugar options to help people moderate their consumption of added sugar. In addition to our namesake Coca-Cola drinks, some of our leading brands around the world include: AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater, and Zico coconut water. At Coca-Cola, we’re serious about making positive contributions to the world. That starts with reducing sugar in our drinks and continuing to introduce new ones with added benefits. It also means continuously working to reduce our environmental impact, creating rewarding careers for our associates and bringing economic opportunity wherever we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people around the world.